The A to Z Of Studio Ghibli: P

To celebrate the release of Studio Ghibli ’s latest animation From Up On Poppy Hill on 2 August, we’re going to have a daily rummage through the Spirited Away studio’s magical history

P is for Ponyo

Hayao Miyazaki’s eighth feature for Studio Ghibli follows the tale of a young goldfish named Ponyo who, upon befriending a human boy, wants to become a human girl. Inspired by Han Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid , Miyazaki revealed he was careful not to tread the same lines as Disney’s adaptation and that there were multiple inspirations for his transformation tale. In a press conference Miyazaki described how he feels, “like I'm searching in my subconscious with a fishing net [when searching for film ideas], and I happened upon catching a goldfish in that net. That was the inspiration for starting to make this movie.”

• Look back at previous entries in the A to Z of Studio Ghibli
20 Anime Movies Even Non-Anime Fans Will Love

The latest film from Studio Ghilbli, From Up On Poppy Hill , arrives in UK cinemas on 2 August. Featuring the voice talent of Gillian Anderson, Christina Hendricks, Jamie Lee Curtis, Anton Yelchin and Aubrey Plaza and is directed by Goro Miyazaki. Learn more at the official Studio Ghibli UK Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/studioghibliuk

Dave Golder
Freelance Writer

Dave is a TV and film journalist who specializes in the science fiction and fantasy genres. He's written books about film posters and post-apocalypses, alongside writing for SFX Magazine for many years.